CYSCA Awarded Grant from U.S. Library of Congress – Will Host Media Literacy Program for Young Professionals from Armenia

Cambridge, Mass.— The Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association (CYSCA) is pleased to announce award of a grant to host a program for five young professionals from Armenia in Greater Boston September 28-October 5, 2017, focused on promoting media literacy in Armenia. The participants will be accompanied by a facilitator who will assist them in orientation with customs and traditions in the USA. Funding support will be provided by the “Open World” (OW) program of the U. S. Library of Congress, CYSCA, and its team of volunteers. The OW program is administered by the U. S. Library of Congress and managed by its OW Leadership Center to enhance understanding and cooperation between the United States and countries of Eurasia. The program, initiated by OW through the U. S. Embassy in Armenia, and implemented by CYSCA, aims to give the participants first-hand exposure to America’s democratic government and free-market system to Eurasian leaders as an instrument for Americans engaged in citizens’ diplomacy.

A key goal of this new grant is to develop leadership capability of young professionals from Armenia in media literacy organizations by engaging them with USA counterparts. CYSCA has designed a program of visits/meetings with various organizations/individuals in the Greater Boston area, including MA Media Literacy Consortium, Media Literacy NOW, WGBH, Emerson College Innovation Lab, and numerous other organizations and individuals. Presentations at the various meetings planned by CYSCA will engage the participants in media literacy issues, showing how they can become community leaders in a society where media literacy can be beneficial, especially in Armenia. The participants are from various backgrounds and have been selected by the US Embassy for their potential. “We look forward to meeting these outstanding young professionals and introducing them to their counterparts in our area to help them develop their skills and gain knowledge and understanding of media literacy in our area”, stated Alisa Stepanian, CYSCA Program director. CYSCA will schedule a panel discussion with the participants to offer the local community an opportunity to meet these young, talented media specialists from Armenia. Anyone interested in joining in the hosting of this program is encouraged to contact CYSCA (see contact info below).

CYSCA is a sister city association partnered with the city of Yerevan since 1987. Over the past 30 years, CYSCA has hosted over 22 professional development programs, 10 school partnerships/student and teacher exchanges, environmental programs, school aid projects, business/entrepreneurship training, and numerous historical/cultural projects, theater management, museum management, aviation management, university administration, secondary school educators and countless humanitarian assistance projects for Armenia. CYSCA is a non-profit organization based on the premise that citizen’s exchanges on shared values transcend political and other governmental hurdles in our worldwide societies in the furtherance of civil rights and democratic principles. For more information about the OW program and/or to join in the hosting of the participants, contact Alisa Stepanian at <asteoanian@aol.com> or Jack Medzorian at jmedzorian@aol.com or about CYSCA www.cambridgeyerevan.org.